3.11.2. Collaborating on accurate information 

Collaborative efforts were at the forefront of 2023, and various training sessions, study visits and meetings on specific countries were organised between COI units and immigration authorities in other countries. Through the EUAA’s specialised networks, asylum authorities continued to cooperate with other authorities and exchange experiences with COI. 

COI units in Germany and Poland increased cooperation with other EU+ countries. In addition, they embarked on further international cooperation with COI experts in the framework of the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees (IGC), which includes several EU+ countries as members, in addition to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the framework of the Bilateral Mentoring System (BMS),xxxiii  COI experts in Germany cooperated with counterparts in France and Greece. Subsequently, Germany and France published a joint report on Guinea on levirate and sororate marriages.

In addition to strengthening cooperation with all actors involved in the international protection procedure, the focus was on expanding cooperation with academia, civil society organisations and the interested public. Among civil society organisations, initiatives to foster cooperating and build stronger networks of COI experts continued. Asylos, a UK-registered charity, chaired informal quarterly check-ins with COI experts, where members of the group exchanged best practices, challenges, new publications, peer reviews and collaboration opportunities.800